Glen Boss is banking on a bigger leap in fitness second-up to give Well Done an edge over his narrow Panasonic Kranji Mile conqueror Debt Collector in the SIN$700,000 Group 1 Raffles Cup (1800m) on Sunday.
When trainer David Kok picked a Group 1 race like the Kranji Mile as Well Done's comeback race since his Emirates Singapore Derby heroics in July, many wondered if he would not be short of one run, especially against stellar opponents like Debt Collector, War Affair or Quechua.
The magnificent Falkirk chestnut nearly pulled it off. There was no drama until the last 400m when he copped two checks down the straight, but he still pushed on to run a neck-second to Debt Collector in the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series.
Some argued he could even have won with an uninterrupted run to the line, but Boss is adamant - they got beaten fair and square by the fitter horse.
But three weeks have passed and the Australian Hall Of Fame jockey said the balance of fitness may have swung around. Boss can't wait for this Sunday's rematch to find out.
"Well Done was beaten by the fitter horse. Debt Collector had one run and four trials before the Kranji Mile, we had two trials, one easy trial and one okay trial," said Boss.
"I felt he was vulnerable first-up, but he still ran a belter. That first check (after straightening) was not as bad as it looked, but I had to duck back inside and then we got checked again.
"It didn't really affect his momentum, though. We still had our chance as he still levelled up with Debt Collector with 50m to go, but Debt Collector, gee, he's a real winner, too, and he just got us on the line.
"I've ridden Well Done in trackwork two times since, and he's really improved. His fitness level is back to what it was when I first won on him in the Patron's Bowl.
"Debt Collector is a great horse and I have a lot of respect for him, but my bloke will go into the Raffles Cup a lot fitter, and it should be a great fight."
Boss said he had not worked out any strategy with regards to the more or less identical field they will face as in the Kranji Mile – minus Laughing Gravy and Fastnet Dragon but plus a new challenger in Titanium – as no two races are run the same way.
"It's a small field again, I'll just ride him the way the race suits him. Just don't get him out of his comfort zone as it's not good for him," said Boss.
"Well Done and Debt Collector have an equal turn of speed. So whether the pace is slow or fast, it doesn't matter, they have that instant speed they can just unleash, and I'm sure Michael (Rodd) will agree with me.
"But it's not just Debt Collector I should worry about. There are five other horses who are all very good, and I think it will be a close contest."
Boss paid compliments to the work accomplished by Kok to bring Well Done to his peak for the Singapore Triple Crown series, which the Singaporean handler had long earmarked as Well Done's target all the way to the final Leg, the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) on November 20.
"The way David has trained Well Done and kept his condition improving is just amazing. He's a very clever young trainer," said Boss who has worked with all the best trainers in Australia, including Lee Freedman, Bart Cummings, Chris Waller, etc.
"He doesn't have a big team of horses, but it's growing. Just today, I came to ride one of his new three-year-olds, Major Advancement in a jumpout (New Registration) and he went really well."
The son of O'Reilly, who is raced by a new outfit called the SIN-HK Friendship Stable, was sluggish out of his barrier No 1, but slowly picked up the pace to run a length second to Elite Takes All (Rodd). -STC
When trainer David Kok picked a Group 1 race like the Kranji Mile as Well Done's comeback race since his Emirates Singapore Derby heroics in July, many wondered if he would not be short of one run, especially against stellar opponents like Debt Collector, War Affair or Quechua.
The magnificent Falkirk chestnut nearly pulled it off. There was no drama until the last 400m when he copped two checks down the straight, but he still pushed on to run a neck-second to Debt Collector in the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series.
Some argued he could even have won with an uninterrupted run to the line, but Boss is adamant - they got beaten fair and square by the fitter horse.
But three weeks have passed and the Australian Hall Of Fame jockey said the balance of fitness may have swung around. Boss can't wait for this Sunday's rematch to find out.
"Well Done was beaten by the fitter horse. Debt Collector had one run and four trials before the Kranji Mile, we had two trials, one easy trial and one okay trial," said Boss.
"I felt he was vulnerable first-up, but he still ran a belter. That first check (after straightening) was not as bad as it looked, but I had to duck back inside and then we got checked again.
"It didn't really affect his momentum, though. We still had our chance as he still levelled up with Debt Collector with 50m to go, but Debt Collector, gee, he's a real winner, too, and he just got us on the line.
"I've ridden Well Done in trackwork two times since, and he's really improved. His fitness level is back to what it was when I first won on him in the Patron's Bowl.
"Debt Collector is a great horse and I have a lot of respect for him, but my bloke will go into the Raffles Cup a lot fitter, and it should be a great fight."
Boss said he had not worked out any strategy with regards to the more or less identical field they will face as in the Kranji Mile – minus Laughing Gravy and Fastnet Dragon but plus a new challenger in Titanium – as no two races are run the same way.
"It's a small field again, I'll just ride him the way the race suits him. Just don't get him out of his comfort zone as it's not good for him," said Boss.
"Well Done and Debt Collector have an equal turn of speed. So whether the pace is slow or fast, it doesn't matter, they have that instant speed they can just unleash, and I'm sure Michael (Rodd) will agree with me.
"But it's not just Debt Collector I should worry about. There are five other horses who are all very good, and I think it will be a close contest."
Boss paid compliments to the work accomplished by Kok to bring Well Done to his peak for the Singapore Triple Crown series, which the Singaporean handler had long earmarked as Well Done's target all the way to the final Leg, the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) on November 20.
"The way David has trained Well Done and kept his condition improving is just amazing. He's a very clever young trainer," said Boss who has worked with all the best trainers in Australia, including Lee Freedman, Bart Cummings, Chris Waller, etc.
"He doesn't have a big team of horses, but it's growing. Just today, I came to ride one of his new three-year-olds, Major Advancement in a jumpout (New Registration) and he went really well."
The son of O'Reilly, who is raced by a new outfit called the SIN-HK Friendship Stable, was sluggish out of his barrier No 1, but slowly picked up the pace to run a length second to Elite Takes All (Rodd). -STC
